Written/Compiled and Reported by Wei Ruyu
The much-awaited “2012 New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival” will officially begin on January 26 (Thursday, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year) at Jing Tong Elementary School, with three more large-scale themed sky lantern evening shows to follow on January 28 (Saturday, the sixth day), February 4 (Saturday, the thirteenth day), and February 6 (Monday, the Lantern Festival), where limited-edition wooden sky lantern amulets will be given out on-site.
Janet was deeply impressed by the culture and scenery of Pingxi. (Photo provided by New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau)
Additionally, this month the New Taipei City Government also collaborated with the bi-weekly magazine “Next Magazine Entertainment” on its “New Taipei City One-Day Travel” segment, inviting “Crazy Taiwan” TV host Janet to guide a tour around Pingxi. Janet said, “Not long after I started hosting Crazy Taiwan in Taiwan, I went on a location shoot in Pingxi, and I was immediately struck by this small town. I remember interviewing an elderly lady who was amazing — she kept trying all kinds of sky lanterns, whether they were the biggest, smallest, or even octagonal ones.” Janet enthusiastically recounted her experiences in Pingxi and also recommended that everyone take the Pingxi Branch Line train to fully experience the authentic charm of this mountain town.
Tourism Bureau Director Chen Guojun expressed that it’s a great pleasure to showcase how people can enjoy New Taipei City’s Pingxi area through Janet’s introduction and footsteps. This isn’t just for Taiwanese friends, but also to attract travelers from all over the world to visit Pingxi. As she said, coming to Pingxi is like stepping into a movie scene — everywhere you go, there’s warmth and human touch. Pingxi has a mining history, railways, sky lanterns, and small town settlements, making it a uniquely diverse and fun destination.
You absolutely can’t miss the chance to release a sky lantern in Pingxi ! (Photo provided by New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau)
For more information about the scenery of Jing Tong and Pingxi, as well as Janet’s reflections on revisiting Pingxi, you can join the Facebook fan page “New Taipei City Travelers” at www.facebook.com/ntctour. In addition, Travel & Living Channel (TLC) will re-air “Crazy Taiwan Challenge” on February 9, featuring contestants scaling the hills of Jiufen and searching for clues via sky lanterns in Pingxi as they compete for a million-dollar prize.
More details about the “2012 New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival” can be found on the official website at tour.ntpc.gov.tw/2012skylantern.